


Hunter Arcade; The Game

by Airri



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, general romantic themes, it's a dating sim au, possible plot twists
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2018-11-16 00:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11242596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airri/pseuds/Airri
Summary: After purchasing an odd looking game from a weird little game shop, Jack has quite the time exploringHunter Arcade, and it's five handsome dateable characters. But who will capture his heart? Time will tell!





	1. Game, Start!

**Author's Note:**

> Whoo boy it's been a while. So, hopefully, this isn't a complete and total mess. But I'm fairly confident that it's enjoyable. So, please, leave me feedback!

 When he was in school, Jack heard about those office jobs, and how no one seemed to like them. Younger, more innocent Jack swore he wouldn't end up at one of those; he'd find himself a job that he looked forward to and love to do.

Boy, would younger Jack be surprised to see himself now.

Nearing 40 and working at one of those shitty desk jobs at a company he has no love for, and miserable. It probably doesn’t help that he lives alone and is still hopelessly single. But it’s not like he’s got much in the way of options. He wanted to make movies, to begin with. That’s what he’d gone to college for,  but the industry was just. So hard to break into, he’d picked up a job to pay bills and keep him afloat. Only. He never broke in. And so the job he picked up became the job. The one that kept him housed and fed and kept him able to occasionally playing video games. When he had time and money.

Both of which seem to be at a premium these days. At least, that's what he thinks, as he walks home after another soul-sucking day at work. At least he's gotten paid today. So Jack finally has a chance to treat himself to a new game. If only there was something coming out recently that he wanted to play; so far, nothing has caught his eye.

He’d intended to head down to Gamestop, really, because that was just automatic, but he pauses outside of the outside of what seems to be a little independent game store. It looks like it’s been there forever, but Jack can’t say he remembers passing it before. It’s possible he just never noticed, but. The thought doesn’t sit right with him. Regardless, he decides it’s worth a shot. You never know what kind of hidden gems you can find in a place like this.

The door even tinkles with an overhead bell when he enters. He feels 20 years younger, browsing at his local mom-and-pop store, looking for new games with a part-time job check just cashed. The store isn’t very big, and a bit dim, but. Very much that small, local feeling. But something about the place just. Sends a shiver crawling up his spine. Maybe it’s the short elderly man behind the counter- his eyes seem to know something Jack doesn’t.

The shelves are filled with games Jack has never heard of, let alone seen before. They all seem to blur together- weird looking shovelware and indie titles, he supposes. Nothing seems to jump out until he sees a case in the back left corner. He picks it up with a frown- it looks like one of those cheap CD cases you got for when you wanted to burn CDs in 2005. On the front is a cover that is mostly black, with a green crosshair, and white, block letters. _Hunter Arcade_. There’s nothing to go off of other than that. Looking around, Jack shrugs. Well, if it’s cheap, he might as well. Completing a lap around the store, nothing else grabs his attention, so he brings the game to the counter. “How much?” he asks the elderly man.

Those eyes seem to bore into him. It makes Jack uncomfortable. “May I see the game?” he asks. Jack hands it over, and the man inspects it, and then seems to then inspect Jack. He almost has the urge to stand up straighter, like he’s being scrutinized. “...For you, young man? Five dollars”.

“That’s it?” Jack asks, raising an eyebrow. That’s bargain bin price, and it makes him slightly concerned about the kind of game he’s buying.

The elderly man just nods, giving him a smile that doesn’t help his confidence. “Absolutely. I have no doubt you’ll find it more than worth the money- and time- you put in”.

Ah, what the hell. Jack retrieves a bill from his wallet and hands it over. “Well, thank you. I’m hoping I do”.

Putting the cash in the register, he nods. “Enjoy. Have a nice day”, he says, and Jack just nods, returning to his walk home. That was. Weird. But he got a new game out of it. Now to see if it’s any good.

 

* * *

 

Nothing quite like coming home. Jack kicks his shoes off at the door, and deposits his things to one side, pausing only to grab the game from the bag. Setting it near his computer, he lets it be while he attends to more immediate things. Like dinner, and giving Ellie some attention after being gone all day. At least the weekend holds promise for relaxation. One instant dinner later, and Jack’s ready to just. Relax, and forget about the week. He considers his options for the evening, and his eyes once again find the copy of _Hunter Arcade,_  and figures he might as well see what it’s about.

Settled in the desk chair, he boots the computer, as Ellie settles in his lap. Once it’s loaded, he places the game in the disk tray (God, when was the last time he did that?) and installs it. It takes a couple minutes, and the icon the game leaves on his desktop is no help in informing him what to expect. It mimics the cover, a simple white box with a green crosshair. Jack can’t help but be a little curious. One double click later, and the game loads.

It’s full screen- which is fine by him. That’s why he has 2. It’s black for a moment, and then up comes a series of storefronts, an arcade front, and center. Its logo is just a simple silhouette- of either a joystick or a rook chess piece. It’s kind of unclear. And the name. _Hunter Arcade_.To one corner is the title of the game, and then a basic menu. Jack fiddles with the settings a little, just so it’s comfortable, and lets the window sit for a bit while he brings up a browser to search for the game, see if it’s got anything worth knowing before going in.

Only, once Google loads, it’s got. Nothing. Anything he tries only gets him results for hunting lodges and stuff. Nothing about a game whatsoever. He checks everywhere he can think of, and is seriously confused. Why is there nothing on this game? There’s not a publisher on the title screen, so he can’t check that, either. It’s really odd. But, Jack lets it be. He’ll dive into that later.

His mouse comes back to the game, and shrugging, he clicks start. First thing’s first, he’s taken to a kind of character creation screen. The one he’s given is on the cartoonish side, but. Not ridiculously so. It’s not bad. But the freedom he’s given is surprising. Jack seriously considers making a woman like normal… but decides this time, to be just. Himself. His name goes in the boxes. Picks male, plugs in his height and age, chooses a build. So far, so good. Hairstyle, facial hair, glasses, and clothes. Once done, a kind of cartoonish caricature is looking back at him with a fair amount of accuracy. Happy, Jack clicks okay, and the game creates a save file for him, before launching into the starting cutscene.

It’s. Well, kinda cheesy, which is what he expects. Glimpses of an arcade, of various generic locations, silhouettes of what is no doubt the main characters, all set to boppy, cheesy music. And that’s when it occurs to him.

This is a dating sim.

He groans, leaning back. What has he gotten himself into? Theoretically, he could back out right now, try and return the game tomorrow.

But at the same time. He’s kind of intrigued. Maybe he’ll give it a few minutes, to give it a shot. What could go wrong?

It starts out, naturally, with flavor text. About how his character has moved to a smallish town to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, for a fresh start, and he manages to barely not roll his eyes. Figures. If only it were so easy. At least it isn’t some stereotypical high school bullshit. Though, it did ask for his age… maybe it alters slightly depends on the age you put in? Jack might have to investigate that. Regardless, the short version is that upon moving, his character had gone job searching and found a listing for a local arcade, and at that, his heart aches. He thinks back to his high school days, when he had worked in the little arcade in the mall near the school- some of the happiest days of his life. But then arcades slowly started dying off as games moved into the home, and that one was one of the first to close. And that’s when he started to realize maybe he couldn’t have the dream job he always wanted.

But he presses on, as his character heads to the fictional arcade, it still makes him smile sadly. The man that greets him is an elderly man, kind and warm, and a few text boxes later, he’s hired. Jack can’t help but brighten up a little- figures, given the game’s title. It’s still kind of nice, to relive this part of his life. And the very next in-game day, he starts the job, and his character notices how slow it is- it seems that school’s started, so during the day, it’s pretty quiet. Save for afternoon, when his character comes back from lunch to see a group of men clambered around a table, clearly enjoying the quiet, quarters scattered on the table and the remains of their own food.

Jack blinks. As his character is able to see them, he lets out a breath. There’s a little clip of each of them; an older guy, black hair, blue eyes, and with sleeves that would even impress a punk. A tall, handsome man with swooping blond hair, and bright blue eyes, slightly bearded. A lanky guy, with a mess of hair and a prominent nose, but his eyes are bright and clever. One with curly auburn hair and freckles, a firecracker if his reactions are anything to go with. And a short guy, with a close haircut, and a bright smile, full of enthusiasm.  
  
After the cutscene, he sits there for a moment. God. They’re all… handsome. Jack has to give the developers that. But his eye catches the clock- God, is it that hour already? He has work in the morning. Somewhat regrettably, he saves and closes the game. Maybe he won’t return it just yet.


	2. Ink Puddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With this weird game at his disposal, Jack is left unsure what to do. Maybe another attempt to play it is worth considering?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Better late than never, huh? Sorry this one's so much shorter than the first, but you know how it is. Hopefully the next update isn't as long. But thank you for all your kind comments and kudos! I never expected this fic to be so popular!

There are many reasons Jack hates his job. It’s boring as all hell. The customers he has to deal with are some of the worst human beings he’s ever encountered. His office space is a tiny cubicle, clearly not designed for a man his size. But all of this, he could have probably sucked up.

No, the worst part is his co-workers. And to be fair, they’re not… bad people, necessarily. At least, he doesn’t think so. But therein lies the problem; Jack knows none of them. They walk past his desk, barely giving him the time of day, only talking to him for business, and nothing more. It’s a rather lonely situation.

But today has been exceptionally horrible. A culmination of many, many sucky parts, leaving Jack exhausted, frustrated, and just done with it all. Nothing has looked as alluring as his couch and some relaxation time. Coming through the door, he deposits his work things in their home by his door, and immediately turning into his bedroom, changing into something more comfortable. Emerging in sweats and a tee, he immediately feels a bit better, as he sinks into his couch with a groan. Yeah, he deserves this. He finds his controller and flicks over to see what games he can load up. Slowly scrolling through the titles, he frowns. No, no, not that… everything is so… boring. Sighing, he flops back into the couch. Figures. The one time he actually has time to play something, nothing looks engaging.

It takes a moment before his eyes slide towards his computer. There is the weird dating sim, still over there. Slowly, he rises from the couch to move to the chair and switches on his PC. It’s certainly not the worst thing he could be playing. As it loads up, he shakes his head. “Look at yourself, Jack. You’re playing a weird cheap dating sim. You’re really desperate, aren’t you”, he mumbles to himself.

The tacky launch screen sits there for a moment while he orders in food- fuck it, he’s earned this- and then he loads up his save slot. The scene where the six guys are sitting returns and his lips twitch up. Well, if this is his choices, they’re certainly not bad ones. His character begins to chat with the owner, quietly asking about their visitors. The boss character- Jack’s already forgotten his name- informs him of their names.

The older guy with the dark hair and tattoos is Geoff, the group’s leader, it seems. His laugh floats over the music track, infectious and earnest. The feeling he gives off is very… soft punk. Next to him, the next eldest with the jaw that could stop an army is Ryan, who has an easygoing smirk, clearly having an intense discussion with the others. Honestly, he’s a very handsome man, but his eyes seem to hide more. To his left is a younger man with russet curls, freckles, dimples- adorable by any stretch of the imagination, but his voice clip is loud, a shout that betrays his fire. Michael. Opposite him, with the shock of messy hair and the large nose is Gavin, and Jack almost jumps as what comes from the speakers could have been a bird noise, if he didn’t know better. What kind of human makes a noise like that!? Laughing, he manages to recover in time to hear that the last of their group is Jeremy, who’s enthusiastically leaning in, voice rich as he argues back with Ryan, full of energy.

An interesting group indeed. He lingers on the last group shot, the text of the shop owner explaining they like to come here on days off of whatever job they have, just relax, play some games and eat some food. It’s… rather sweet, in a way. Jack sighs. If only he had time for that kind of thing. God, he needs to catch up with Gilby, doesn’t he. Later, he promises himself, as he watches his character move to start to take their dishes, pausing when Geoff’s eyes fall on him. Instead of the stereotypical schoolgirl blush, he expects from his character, it’s more… subtle. A little smile on his little sprite’s face, which is actually pretty in line with what he’d actually do. Which is a nice touch, he admits. It’s possibly something to do with his age- maybe there’s different reactions depending on what you put in?

Geoff’s smile is a gentle one before he turns back to the others, who all seem to take turns in glancing at him. It’s kind of nice, really, being noticed like that. The game only gives him a few snippets of their conversation- talks about a new game that’s just came out, something about a video, and a bet. Jack- real Jack, that is, is actually curious. 

They’re soon shuffling out, but they leave a very reasonable tip, that Jack’s character shares his surprise in seeing, even as he pockets it. But the day at his new job is soon wrapped up, and he heads to his little apartment, which isn’t too bad- Jack himself has lived in worse, while in college. More flavour text about dinner, and getting some rest, as the in-game day passes.

The doorbell rings, and he pauses to go retrieve his order, taking the opportunity to stretch. Paying and tipping the delivery girl, he considers the game. For a dating sim, he could certainly do worse. He’s certainly not sold just yet, but it’s at least more personal than a lot of other ones he’s seen.

Sitting back once more with pizza and a drink, he resumes the game for the next day, mindful to save. After all, he’d hate to lose his place in the story. Another day at the arcade, and it seems it too, is a Friday, meaning his character gets a warning that the afternoon will be busier than usual as kids flock in after school. At least this fictional arcade is doing better than ones in his world. The first part of the working day involves a mini-game, which surprises him- he thought they were restricted to the dates, usually, but this is actually a kind of wire puzzle, to do some maintenance on one of the game cabinets. And oh, does that send Jack back to his youth. He smiles as he completes it- and it’s fairly simple, considering, but it’s a tutorial one, so he expects it. It boosts one of his stats- he has stats, that’s good to know. Maybe he needs to have a certain stat level to date some people?

Shrugging, the game continues to lunch, and he’s a little disappointed when the group doesn't return. But he supposes they wouldn’t come in all the time, that’d be boring. And probably expensive. But nevertheless, as school ends, kids appear, and he’s tasked with the job of keeping an eye on things. And it’s not as bad as he was worried it might be. There’s a few times his character has to remind some kids to be gentle or break up an argument or two. A very familiar feeling from his time there. But eventually, the kids file out and clean up begins.

As his character laments about how sticky things get after kids are around, he’s startled by Geoff’s appearance.

“...Working hard, I see”, he laughs, even as Jack watches.

“Have to earn a living somehow… even if it is cleaning up after a horde”, Jack replies, or… well, his character.

Geoff nods. “Fair enough, dude. Oh, shit, I didn’t catch your name, yesterday. You just started here, right?”

“That’s right. Just moved out here, and started yesterday. You’re Geoff, right?” he asks.

His smile grows, as he offers a hand. “That’s me. Geoff Ramsey. And you are?”

Character Jack must shake it, even if the sprite doesn’t change. “Jack Pattillo. Nice to meet you”.

“Same here- welcome to town, then. I guess you’ve not had a lot of time to make friends yet… listen. Me and my friends- you saw them yesterday, are having a get-together, this Sunday. Any chance you’d want to join us?”

“I’d love to”, he says, easily, and Geoff’s smile is well worth the reply. Shit, he’s too charming.

“Awesome. Hey, you mind if I hang around a little as you clean?”   
  
Jack, at his computer, pauses. And then he smiles to himself. What can he say? Whoever made this game knew how to do character design.

His character replies, “Not at all”. He learns that Geoff’s only slightly older than him, an Army vet, an avid reader and lover of music, and apparently a damn good cook. Awfully domestic, despite the punk vibe his tattoos give off.

Soon enough, it’s closing time, and real Jack is almost disappointed. But, there’s the Sunday to look forward to.

“Thanks for letting me hang out. I’ll see you Sunday, if not before then, yeah?” Geoff offers.

“Can’t wait”, in-game Jack replies, and soon enough, another day is done.

Looking at the time, real Jack sighs. He needs to wrap up. Saving, he begins shutting down the computer.

For a cheap dating sim, so far, it hasn’t been so bad. If only he could find more information on the thing. Briefly, he remembers the shop- maybe the owner has a guide or some information? It’s worth a shot, right?

Cleaning up the mess he’d left from dinner, he gives Ellie a stroke. It’s kind of nice to forget all about the outside world, and let himself fall into one where people care about him more than what kind of paperwork he can do.

Yeah. He’s got to see Gilby. He’ll make sense of all of this.


End file.
